A 24-point loss to No. 4 Stanford Jan. 20 lit a fire under the ASU women's basketball team, and it showed in practice.
Freshman forward Kelsey Moos saw her team improve from its disappointing performance against Stanford to its trip to the mountains last weekend, winning games at Colorado and Utah.
"It was a tough road weekend," Moos said. "We did a much better job of playing together this weekend."
Moos knows that the past is the past and her team needs to continue moving forward.
"It's a new week," Moos said. "We have new opponents, so we're just trying to learn the scout and play hard." The Sun Devils (17-3, 6-2 Pac-12) improved to 9-0 in games decided by less than five points or in overtime with the wins over Colorado and Utah.
Moos knows that her team's record in close games is no accident.
"We play great team defense," Moos said. "We're getting stops when we needed to get stops."
Even in times of struggle, the Sun Devils have stuck together and found ways to win close games.
"Our team just stays with things," Moos said.
Coach Charli Turner Thorne sees the effort her team is giving every day in games and in practice to get better.
"We have great determination from our veteran players," Turner Thorne said. "We also have great determination from our freshmen and younger players."
Turner Thorne notes great teamwork as a reason for her team playing so well in close matchups.
"We're not relying on a few people to hold the team together," Turner Thorne said. "They all have a level of toughness and determination, which is what I think separates us at times."
Turner Thorne said she likes her players' attitudes on gameday and how it is positively affecting their play in games.
"For being such a young team, they're pretty business-like," Turner Thorne said. "And yet they like to have fun and they're really at their best when they do. They're bringing it and finding ways to win."
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Tonis_The_Tiger
